Starlight in the Woods of Gravity Falls
by Tr3ble-Maker
Summary: When Dipper, Wendy, and Mabel investigate the woods behind the Mystery Shack, plans start to go awry. Will Mabel get over her newly discovered fear of the woods? Will Dipper ever confess his feelings for Wendy? Read to find out :)
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

Dipper watched her at the counter, selling another sucker one of the Mystery Shack's lame "souveniers" that didn't reflect Gravity Falls at all. She looked so amazing doing it, though, that the customer probably couldn't help but buy it.

"HEY!" came a voice from out of nowhere. Dipper shrieked and dropped the spray bottle he was holding. It was his sister, Mabel, her sweater blinding as always. "What were you looking at?" she questioned.

Dipper looked at Wendy out of the corner of his eye. "Nothing," he muttered, resuming his task of cleaning the cracked mirror in the corner. No matter how many times Grunkle Stan made him clean it, a layer of dust would always settle over it in a matter of minutes. The Mystery Shack might look clean, but it never actually was.

Mabel tapped his shoulder. "Were you looking at Weeeeeendy again?"

Dipper blushed madly and turned so Wendy wouldn't see. "Mabel, shut up."

Of course, this only made Mabel scream more. "I KNEW it! You LOVE her! LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE!" Mabel sang loudly.

Wendy looked over and laughed, oblivious. Of course, this made Dipper blush even more, and he sprayed Mabel with the spray bottle.

"Hey! What is that?" she protested.

Dipper looked at it closely. "It's supposed to be cleaning fluid."

"It's water!" Wendy called out.

Dipper turned around and looked at her. Mud-stained boots on the counter, jeans that fit her perfectly, blue plaid flannel shirt, and a trapper hat that her gleaming red hair flowed out of. How did she not see how perfect she was?

"Th…thanks Wendy!" Dipper stammered. _Thanks? How could I be so stupid? She only said that it was water, does thanks even constitute as an acceptable answer?_ He thought wildly.

The cuckoo clock in the corner chimed out its ugly bird call. Wendy hopped off her stool. "Closing time!" She sang. Dipper's heart fell. Closing time meant no hanging out with Wendy, no talking to her – or trying to talk to her, at least.

"Later dorks," Wendy called out, throwing her nametag behind her and walking out the door.

Dipper got up on Wendy's stool and pulled his book out of its hiding place behind a wall panel. "Hey Mabel, tomorrow I want to go into the woods and investigate where I found the book. See if there are any clues hidden near it. Want to come?"

"The woods?" Said a voice from the door. Dipper's stomach jerked. It was Wendy.

"I forgot my jacket," she explained. "But can I go with you? I love those woods. I was actually planning to go there tomorrow anyways."

Dipper wanted Wendy to come, but alone? In the woods? He'd screw everything up somehow, he always did when talking to her. He could barely make eye contact with her, for God's sake. "Y-yeah, I mean, I…"

"Great. See you at five-ish?" Wendy asked. Dipper just stared idiotically.

Mabel jumped in. "We will be here!"

Wendy smiled and walked out the door.

Dipper grabbed Mabel and shook her. "What the hell was that for?"

Mabel smiled. "Look Dipper, you know nothing about girls! Just spend some time with her, get to know her?"

Dipper groaned. "Like you know so much about relationships. Your first boyfriend was a bunch of gnomes!"

Mabel sighed. "Well, he was still a boyfriend!" She walked out of the room, muttering. "He couldn't have been a vampire…"

Dipper closed his book shakily. Maybe being in the woods with Wendy wouldn't be so bad.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Dipper straightened his hat in the mirror for the hundredth time. Wendy was due any minute, and he was determined not to look like the 12-year-old kid he knew she thought she was.

Mabel was wearing her rainbow star sweater. "Chill out, Dipper, you look fine."

Dipper turned to her. "You sure?"

"Positive. Girls don't like perfect guys anyways," Mabel assured him.

"I'm not perfect?" Dipper shouted frantically.

Mabel laughed and adjusted her headband. "Again, chill out."

The bell on the door jingled. Dipper couldn't tell whether his heart leapt or sank – Wendy was here.

"Sup, dorks," she greeted, her musical voice ringing out across the shack.

Dipper exhaled and spun around. "Hi, Wendy. Are you, um, ready to go?"

She shrugged. "Whenever is fine."

He couldn't take his eyes off her. She was wearing the same thing she wore to work, but the moto jacket over it made her that much sexier. God, she was so sexy.

Mabel pushed his shoulder, jolting him back to reality. "Ready for an adventure, guys?"

Dipper blushed. Sometimes Mabel could ruin his chances of trying to look mature in front of Wendy, with her constant talk of sparkles and unicorns. Then again, Mabel and him were as different as chocolate and vanilla. Maybe Mabel wouldn't affect Wendy's perception of him.

Wendy laughed. "So ready. Let's hit those woods!"

And out they walked, off the porch of the Mystery Shack and into the pine trees

Mist hung over the trees in (Dipper couldn't help but thinging this) the most romantic way. He thought he caught Wendy smile at him once, but it might have been his imagination. In fact, this could have been the most romantic scene ever.

If only Mabel wasn't skipping along, singing the theme song to Duck-tective.

Dipper knew that Mabel was only being extra loud because of the fact that no matter how she covered it up, she was slightly afraid of the woods. Not deathly, but enough that she got jittery and jumped at loud noises.

"Nice singing, dude," Wendy remarked. Dipper couldn't tell just how she could spin a possible compliment and a possible put-down into one and the same, but he liked it. He wanted that talent. He wanted everything about Wendy.

"Thanks!" Mabel yelled. After she started walking normally again, Dipper realized that her head was darting around and that she was walking closer to him. Yup, Mabel might be afraid, but you have to give her points on subtlety.

"So why are we here?" Wendy asked, stopping and sitting down on a log.

Suddenly, why they were here seemed incredibly stupid to Dipper. He pulled the book out and said "Um, I want to investigate where I found this."

_Oh God, what was that? Investigate where I found this? _He thought. He only realized now how nerdy it sounded, how much it sounded like a child on an adventure.

But to his relief, Wendy nodded. "That's cool."

Dipper flushed with pride. Wendy thought he was cool! Or, what he was doing was cool. Either way, she said cool.

Dipper motioned for them to keep walking. _This will go great, _he thought. _Why was I worried?_


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"H-here we are!" Dipper exclaimed. It was slightly deeper in the woods that he remembered, but it was definitely the place. There was the log, the tree, even the goat was here, grazing.

Dipper shooed the goat away and began looking for the patch of fake earth that slid away to reveal the book when he first came to Gravity Falls.

Wendy looked around before sitting on the log, hands in her pocket.

A million thoughts raced through Dipper's mind. He couldn't help but realize how pretty Wendy looked in the fading sunlight. It was like the spattering of her freckles lit up with her red hair and glowed perfectly. If Wendy thought she had any flaws, she was wrong in so many ways. She was-

"Perfect."

"What?" Mabel asked.

"N-nothing," stuttered Dipper. _Did I really just say that out loud? _"I'm going to go investigate over there."

"What's over there?" asked Wendy.

"Um…" Dipper tried to form a response, but nothing came to his mind. "Just some…interesting stuff I saw there earlier." It wasn't his brightest moment – actually, that was an overstatement – but Wendy nodded and followed him.

There really was nothing there, but Dipper bent down and did investigation-y things. He ruffled the grass, nodded his head, looked at things with a magnifying glass, and made m-hm noises under his breath.

"Well, that confirms it," he said, standing up. (Of course it confirmed nothing.)

"Confirms what?" Wendy asked.

"Um…this is definitely the spot." He said. Wendy nodded and smiled, so it must have been good.

"Should we tell Mabel?" Wendy asked.

"Um…yes, yeah, let's…let's go tell Mabel."

As they walked back, Dipper watched Wendy. The sunlight was fading so much that there was practically moonlight on her hair, but it was beautiful just as the sun was. He couldn't believe his luck. He had thought coming to Gravity Falls would be boring, but Wendy changed all of that. He could see them being together forever. It struck him in the gut whenever she treated him like a child, but he knew that he was more to her than that. Just…not that much more.

"Dude, where's your sister?" asked Wendy.

Dipper looked around the clearing. "Probably a few yards away. HEY MABEL!" he yelled.

No answer.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"MABEL! Oh shit, MABEL!" Dipper yelled, running around the clearing. Wendy was running too, but she seemed much more under control.

Dipper looked straight at Wendy and for once did not think of how beautiful she was, or how much he wanted to be with her. All he could think was "find Mabel find Mabel find Mabel."

"Dipper, chill, she couldn't have gone far. We were gone for, like, 15 minutes." Wendy reassured him.

"She's scared of the woods, Wendy, she could be anywhere!" Dipper screamed.

He couldn't help it, a tear rolled down his cheek. He swiped at it furiously and turned around so Wendy wouldn't see. Stupid and selfish, how he still cared about his appearance in front of Wendy at a time like this, but he did.

"Hey, dude," Wendy said, her voice gentle and forgiving (even though Dipper had nothing to be forgiven for).

Dipper couldn't help it, he was crying. He sat down on the log and shielded his face from Wendy.

Wendy sat down on the log next to him. Oh God, their thighs were touching. TOUCHING.

And then Dipper felt something on his shoulder. He swatted it away, thinking it was a bug.

Wendy suddenly sat up and walked a few paces away. Then Dipper realized.

It was her arm

Wendy had put her arm around him, and he swatted it away.

"Wendy, I-" he started, standing up.

"No, I…we should look for Mabel. I…I just…" Wendy composed herself and smiled at Dipper. "Let's go find her, she couldn't have gone far."

Dipper slowly got up and looked at her for reassurance. There was a little less sparkle in her eye, but she was still smiling.

He followed her out of the clearing and into the woods.

Dipper wondered if he had ruined everything with him and Wendy. Good god, she had her ARM around her and he SWATTED IT AWAY. Ever since he met her, he had dreamed about her willingly putting her arm around him, and the moment had finally come.

Whatever, he couldn't change it now. Where was Blendin with his time machine when you needed him?


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"Mabel!" Dipper screamed for one last time, before he dropped onto the nearest log.

"Mabel!" Wendy continued to yell. She went a few more paces forward before she realized that Dipper had sat down. "Dude, we have to keep going! Get up!"

Dipper tried to suppress the choked sound in the back of his throat, but he started crying anyways.

Wendy stepped a little closer, but not too close (she was still dealing with the rejection from earlier). "Um, Dipper?"

He looked up at her, perfectly framed in the moonlight, and suddenly got angry. "Stop it!"

She looked around awkwardly. "What?"

Dipper stood up, still crying. "Stop being so amazing! And nice! Damn it, you're always just standing there and being perfect! I would kill to make you look at me like this but you NEVER DO! You stand there and you're pretty without trying and you always say the right thing and then the moment comes and I ruin everything!"

They both stood there staring at each other for the longest five seconds anybody has ever known before Dipper sat back down.

Wendy sighed and sat down next to him. "Look, dude, I know you like me."

Dipper laughed sarcastically. "Wow, thanks."

Wendy shifted her weight on the log. "It's just that, I'm with Robbie now. And…

"Okay, I get it!" Dipper spit out.

"You're not letting me finish." Wendy spit back, suddenly mad. "I was going to say that I'm planning on breaking up with him soon because I like somebody else."

Dipper moved to make a reply, but Wendy cut him off.

"If you keep cutting me off, you'll never get to the part of the story where I say that the person I like is you." Wendy finished.

They sat on the log together, looking at each other in silence, slowly leaning towards each other.

"I'm only 12." Said Dipper quietly.

"I know," replied Wendy.

"Stan is going to be weirded out."

"Who cares."

"Robbie will-"

"Screw Robbie."

"You're three years older-"

Wendy took his hand. "You talk way too much, dork."

And the distance between their lips was immediately closed.

Dipper had never felt anything quite like this. He was kissing Wendy. She had kissed him, not the other way around. Suddenly, the woods disappeared. Nothing was left but the lingering starlight and the faint breeze – and Wendy, of course.

Wendy couldn't believe it either. A million thoughts were coursing through her mind, but they faded one by one. Everything Dipper had said was true, there were some serious gaps between them and people that wouldn't want them together to say the least. But all that mattered was here, now, in the woods.

Eventually they did stop, and just sat next to each other, mulling over what happened. '

Finally Dipper broke the silence. "Wendy, I-"

"HELLO!" shouted a familiar voice happily.

Dipper looked up in shock to see his sister's bright neon sweater flashing in the starlight. "Mabel!" He screamed, running over to her and grabbing her by the shoulders. "Oh God, you're in one piece!"

"Yeah, I saw a butterfly and went to look," she laughed, shrugging like it was no big deal.

"You…you…never mind," Dipper gasped. He gave her a non-awkward sibling hug and turned back to Wendy, who was still on the log.

"What's up, dork?" she asked.

"So, what did I miss?" Mabel asked.

"What?" Dipper and Wendy blurted out at the same time.

Mabel was completely clueless. "Did you find what you needed to find about the book-y thingy?"

"Ohhhh. Yeah I did," Dipper said, relieved. He looked at Wendy and smiled, and she smiled back. "I found everything I need."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The three adventurers exploded out of the woods and onto the property of the Mystery Shack.

"I'm going in to check on Waddles," Mabel said, and skipped through the door.

Dipper and Wendy were left alone outside. They turned to face each other and smiled.

"I should probably get home," Wendy said, kicking more dirt onto her already unclean boots.

"Yeah, probably," Dipper said. Wendy turned to go, but he grabbed her arm, turning her back.

"Do you really think this can work? You and me?" he asked.

Wendy looked down at Dipper's hand on her arm and smiled. "No way can it work. But that doesn't mean we're not going to do it."

Dipper laughed and let go of her. She waved and walked out towards her truck, got in, and drove away.

Dipper watched it go, and walked up onto the stairs of the Mystery Shack. Tomorrow, Wendy would come to work, and for some reason, Dipper wouldn't be nervous. He'd get right onto the stool beside her, and they'd talk in between ripping off customers. He doubted that they'd tell Grunkle Stan – not tomorrow at least. Maybe sometime soon. Probably Mabel, though.

Even though he had all that to think about, he could only form one sentence.

"She likes me."

And he went inside, wondering what he would say to Wendy tomorrow.


End file.
